KR20060123442A - Impact-resistant case with sealable opening - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a cost effective impact-absorbing insert which combines multiple functionality with parts consolidation and ease of customization that allows wide application anywhere tailored impact protection is desired. The impact- absorbing insert of the present invention mates with a user defined enclosure to produce a protective case for any fragile articles that are used in a portable environment, for example portable electronic devices such as cameras (35 mm and digital), instrumentation, tools, PDAs, web tablets, hand held computers, cell phones, pagers, gaming devices, electronic music players, voice recorders, global positioning systems (GPS), and the like.

Description

How to maintain shock absorbing inserts, protective cases and shock absorbing inserts {IMPACT-RESISTANT CASE WITH SEALABLE OPENING}

The present invention relates to an impact resistant case having a sealable opening, in particular a dustproof seal and a liquidtight seal.

The electronic device enclosure and housing are essentially cases designed to protect product contents. Because the case is usually based on a human interface to the product, aesthetics, ergonomics, weight, decoration and additional functionality are also provided. This interface may be just sensory (visual) or may be the basis for product use, for example, a user grabs a package to use the product. For example, a portable drill with a case is also a tool housing, which the operator grabs to use the tool. As a result, the case is inherently multifunctional and its design is the result of meeting all the required functional requirements.

Recent developments in portable electronics have been driven by the demand for durable supplemental cases for electronic products such as web tablets, mobile phones, video, cameras and palm computers. This specialized second enclosure allows products designed for business use to be used outdoors in opposite conditions. There are a number of hazards in which a protective case may be required, and two major hazards are impact (fall) and environment (humidity and / or dust). Problems arise when protective functionality combines aesthetics with ergonomics.

Typically, the ship case is designed with a shock absorber. If only energy absorbency is a requirement, there will be very low cost choices as the case generally gets bigger and larger, it becomes easier to design as an energy absorber. For example, the foam cubic structure can be placed in a corrugated box between the fragile content and the box (case), which block provides a high degree of impact protection. However, this method results in a large and huge package. In addition to impact resistance, if the case needs to provide a "user interface", this method is generally much larger than the actual one, and in the sensory sense, it looks big and huge and even ugly. As a user interface enclosure, the method is entirely impractical. As a result, preferred user supplement enclosures are intensively designed to minimize size, volume, weight and optimize ergonomics.

Most portable electronic devices have features that require access, while housed in a supplemental enclosure, such as a protective case. For example, a personal digital assistant (PDA) has a removable memory card, a battery, a synth cable and / or a power cable. However, under normal operating conditions, it may be desirable to use and access these features without removing the product from the protective case. In addition to energy absorption requirements, functional requirements such as access generally lead to an increase in the number of parts, the complexity of the design and the cost of manufacturing the protective case. If size, weight, protection, aesthetics, ergonomics, user access and / or more are all required, the protective case can be as engineering design as the basic product itself or more. Conventional methods for this problem have unfortunately been tailored to the design of protective cases for portable electronic devices, which method is time consuming and expensive.

There is a need for an alternative, cost effective method of providing a protective case for a portable electronic device and having multiple functions such as shock absorption and inner access.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention is a cost-effective shock absorbing insert that combines multiple functionalities with component reinforcements and ease of customization to allow a wide range of applications in any location where tailored impact protection is desired. Shock absorbing inserts of the present invention can be used in portable environments, such as cameras (35 mm and digital), instruments, tools, PDAs, web tablets, handheld computers, mobile phones, portable handheld pagers, game machines, electronic music players, voice recorders And a user defined enclosure to manufacture a protective case for any fragile product used in portable electronic devices such as global positioning system (GPS).

Another object of the present invention is to reduce the number of parts and to increase the ease of use of the shock absorbing insert.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide versatility by designing a shock absorbing insert that can be secured within one or more user-defined enclosures. This reduces the degree of engineering complexity required for each product, while allowing the complex design of energy absorption features with inserts alone.

In one embodiment, the present invention is a shock absorbing insert for a protective case designed to receive and protect a fragile product, the insert being adapted for insertion into one or more shock absorbing portions and an access tunnel housed within a matched user defined enclosure. One or more tether plugs are included, wherein the access tunnel provides access to product features without opening the protective case.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a protective case for a fragile product comprising the shock absorbing insert of the present invention and a user-defined enclosure, the protective case providing a fragile product when the impact protection and access tunnel is plugged in. To provide liquid- and dust-proof seals.

In another embodiment, the shock absorbing insert comprises a molded polymeric material, preferably a low hardness, high elastic polymeric material, such as an elastomeric thermoplastic or elastomeric thermoset plastic, preferably a thermoplastic polyurethane.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a shock absorbing insert having a custom enclosure, such as a molded finger on a shock absorbing insert and a groove on a custom enclosure, and a finger on a custom enclosure and a groove on a shock absorbing insert, or a combination thereof. It is a method of retaining the shock absorbing insert in a user-defined enclosure by designing attachment features that create a tight hold in between.

In another embodiment of the invention, the shock absorbing portion of the shock absorbing insert includes one or more integral energy absorbing web and rib features that are compressed or deformed to absorb shock loads, and internally molded buttons, ribs, aesthetics. Interference tolerances to enable features, coupling ribs, positive fixation, and functionality for the life of the product, or combinations thereof.

Another embodiment of the present invention uses conventional injection molding techniques and operates in open and closed operations, thereby allowing for easy manufacture of the insert.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a user-defined enclosure and an electronic device contained therein that demonstrates a sufficient impact improvement to pass MIL-STD-810F, Table 516.5-Vi Transit Drop Test at a height of at least 24 inches. A protective case for a portable electronic device comprising the shock absorbing insert of the present invention inserted into a user-defined enclosure.

1 is an enlarged perspective view from the inside of a protective case for a portable electronic device including a shock absorbing insert and a matched user defined enclosure;

2 is an enlarged perspective view from the outside of a protective case for a portable electronic device including a shock absorbing insert and a matched user defined enclosure;

3 is an enlarged perspective view of a web tablet with a protective case including a shock absorbing insert and a user-defined enclosure;

4 is a perspective view of a protective case including a shock absorbing insert and a user defined enclosure.

The shock absorbing insert 1 as shown in FIG. 1 has an outer surface 2 and an inner surface 3. The shock absorbing insert also has at least one shock absorbing portion 4 and at least one shock absorbing tether plug 5. At least a portion of the outer surface of the insert, such as the shock absorbing portion (s), is designed to be secured to the outer surface 21 of the user defined enclosure 20. The user defined enclosure 20 includes an upper portion 22 and a lower portion 23, each of which includes an inner surface 24. The user-defined enclosure comprising the shock absorbing insert includes a protective case 30 for the portable electronic device 40 (FIG. 4).

Preferably, the outer surface of the shock absorbing insert should be firmly fixed to the inner surface of the user defined enclosure. Any means for keeping the insert firm against the user-defined enclosure is acceptable, for example by adhesives, fasteners, mechanical means or combinations thereof. An example of mechanical means is shown in FIG. 1. The insert is held by a finger 25 shaped into the inner surface of the user defined enclosure that engages the groove 6 on the outer surface of the insert. Alternatively, the grooves may be on the inner surface of the user defined enclosure and the outer surface of the insert or the finger on each surface may have one or more grooves, one or more fingers, or any combination thereof.

If the portable electronic device is located in a protective case, it must be firmly fixed to the inner surface of the shock absorbing insert. The outer surface of the insert preferably provides ① a gap for preventing the portable electronic device from contacting the ground during the drop impact and / or the inner surface of the user-defined enclosure, and ② an integral rib that absorbs the energy resulting from such a drop. And isolation features 7. The shock absorbing insert may also include one or more internally molded buttons, ribs, access tunnels, aesthetic features, tether plugs, mating ribs or positive anchors, and interference tolerances to enable functionality for the life of the product. These features are designed for specific functions based on portable electronic devices and end product demands.

Preferably, the shock absorbing insert must have a structure sufficient to prevent breakage in the event of a shock and must be able to absorb the energy resulting from this drop without damaging the protecting portable electronic device. The insert preferably has adequate flexible fatigue resistance to recover to its original position after compression in case of drops and other impacts. In normal use it should be rigid enough to maintain its position within the custom enclosure, minimizing unnecessary movement of the portable electronic device in the custom enclosure.

Preferably, the shock absorbing insert should have good solvent resistance and good long time creep properties, so that it should not sag or warp over time. In addition, the shock absorbing insert preferably has sufficient thermal resistance to enable its function in a wide range of climatic conditions, preferably -40 ° F. (-40 ° C.) to 120 ° F. (49 ° C.). Enclosed portable electronic devices can create thermal problems, and shock absorbing inserts must withstand this without distortion or lack of performance.

As shown in Fig. 2, the tether plug 5 is integrated with the shock absorbing insert portion of the shock absorbing insert. The tether plug 5 comprises a plug portion 9 and a restraining portion 10. The plug portion has an outer surface 11 and an inner surface 12. The tether plug is initially settled back through the opening or access tunnel 26 in the user-defined enclosure. Access tunnels allow for custom enclosure / protection cases without the need to open custom enclosures / protective cases (e.g., remove memory cards, replace batteries, insert / remove coaxial cables, earphone jacks, insert / remove power cables, etc.) Allows access to a portable electronic device located inside of the user-defined enclosure / protective case from outside. The plug is designed to be insertable and removable from the outer surface of the user defined enclosure while retaining attachment to the impact absorbing portion (s) of the insert present on the inner surface of the user defined enclosure by a tether passing through the user defined enclosure. do. If the plug is inserted into the access tunnel from the outside of the user-defined enclosure, it preferably forms a liquid and / or dustproof seal. The shock absorbing insert may have a plurality of tether plugs for sealing a plurality of access tunnels that are matched in a user defined enclosure in accordance with the specific requirements of the portable electronic device casing in the protective case.

Preferably, the shock absorbing insert is preferably provided with an integral feature (shock absorbing portion, tether, plug, etc.) at least about 1 mm thick, more preferably at least about 1.5 mm thick, most preferably at least about 2 mm thick. Molded to a nominal wall thickness of at least about 2 mm. The maximum nominal wall thickness and integral feature thickness are limited only by what is practical for a particular enclosure and portable electronic device, but are generally at least about 25 mm, preferably at least about 12 mm and most preferably at least about 6 mm.

The shock absorbing insert can be made of any desired shape design, and of any polymeric material that retains its shape over time within a wide range of environments when secured into a user-defined enclosure. Preferably, the polymeric material is a thermoplastic or thermoset elastomer. Suitable elastomers are described, for example, in Bilmair, F., Textbook of Polymer Science, Interscience Publishing, New York, NY (1965) and Kirk-Osmer Science of Chemical Technology, 4th Edition, John Willy & Sons, New York, NY (1993). ).

The shock absorbing insert can be made of elastomeric plastic, thermoplastic or thermoset material having a low coefficient of expansion and high elasticity. Preferably, the shock absorbing insert can be made of a material having a hardness between about Shore 40 A and about Shore 65 D.

Preferably, the insert is a polyamide (PA); Polyurethane (PU); Polyethylene, such as low-gauge polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), ethylene and vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), ethylene and propylene copolymers (EP), ingeage® polyolefin elastomers available from dough chemical companies, and Polyolefins (PO) which are polyethylene (PE) such as alpha-olefin copolymers, thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO); Polyvinyl chloride (PVC); It is made of polyester, polysiloxane and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the shock absorbing insert is made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), such as Pelethane® 2102-75A polyurethane, available from Dough Chemical Company.

The shock absorbing inserts of the present invention may be made by any known molding process including injection molding, transfer molding, reaction injection molding or liquid injection molding.

The following examples illustrate the embodiments of the invention, but do not limit the scope of the invention.

The Pelethane 2102-75A thermoplastic polyurethane resin is injection molded into the designed shape molding cavity in the shape of a shock absorbing insert having a nominal wall thickness of 2 mm and measuring 218 mm x 30 mm x 37 mm. This design is suitable between a portable electronic device and a user-defined enclosure with two access tunnels, a shock absorbing insert with energy absorption features (ribs, isolators and fingers) and two tether plugs for the access tunnel. The result is a combination of functionality. All the shapes needed for correct functioning are designed in the part and transferred to the metal mold, which reproduces the essential shape for all manufactured parts. The manufacture of the part is that every time the mold is opened, the complete shock absorbing insert is ejected. The shock absorbing insert houses all the necessary shock absorbing features and tether plugs in one molded article.

Pelethane 2102-75A thermoplastic polyurethane resin (TPU) is dried at temperatures between 80 ° C. and 95 ° C., and the molding conditions are melting points between 200 ° C. and 215 ° C. with molding temperatures between 15 ° C. and 60 ° C. Engel 25mm single screw injection molding machine is used.

The resulting impact insert is positioned into a user-defined enclosure having an upper and a lower portion (also molded from Pelethane 2102-75A thermoplastic polyurethane resin (TPU)) so that the impact absorbing insert is positioned at the upper portion and protected Match the recess in the upper part of the user defined enclosure. A personal electronic device, such as a web tablet, is placed in a protective user defined enclosure and seated against the shock absorbing insert. The access tunnel in the user-defined enclosure is aligned with the access feature of the electronic device, and a liquid and dustproof seal is formed when the tether plug on the shock absorbing insert is inserted into this access tunnel.

The upper portion of the custom enclosure is mated with the bottom portion of the custom enclosure. The resulting protective case provides waterproof and dustproof, impact protection and access to features within the user defined enclosure of the casing portable electronic device.

The protective case includes a portable electronic device, a user-defined enclosure and a shock absorbing insert. The protective case is subject to MIL-STD-810F, Table 516.5-VI Transit Drop Test, and passes at least 24 inches high.

Table 516.5-VI test standards,

-To pass the test, the unit must withstand 26 drops at a specific height without damaging the portable electronic device (as defined by the weakened function use).

Up to five units can be used to make 26 drops.

Four different units are used for each drop height (24 inches (70 cm), 30 inches (76 cm), 36 inches (91 cm), 42 inches (107 cm), 48 inches (122 cm), etc.).

The unit falls on concrete covered with two 0.5 inch plywood sheets.

-Drop order:

① Drop six faces three times each (total 18 drops). This drop is performed equally to three or more units.

② Drop four corners twice each (total eight drops)

③ If 26 drop tests pass, repeat at the next drop level.

As described by the examples above, the present invention is a cost-effective shock absorbing insert that combines a number of functionality with component reinforcements and the ease of customization to provide good impact protection for casing portable electronic devices. .

Claims (12)

A shock absorbing insert for a protective case designed to receive and protect fragile products, The insert includes one or more shock absorbing portions and one or more tether plugs for inserting into an access tunnel housed within a mated user defined enclosure, the access tunnel opening the protective case. To provide access to features of the product without Shock-absorbing inserts. A protective case for a fragile product comprising the shock absorbing insert of claim 1 and a user-defined enclosure, When the access tunnel is plugged in, the protective case provides impact protection for the fragile product, and a liquid and dustproof seal. Protective case. The method of claim 1, The fragile product is a portable electronic device Shock-absorbing inserts. The method of claim 3, wherein The portable electronic device may be a 35mm camera, a digital camera, a device, a tool, a personal digital assistant, a web tablet, a mobile phone, a portable computer, a portable mini pager, a game machine, an electronic music player, a voice recorder, and Global positioning system (GPS) Shock-absorbing inserts. The method of claim 2, The fragile product is a portable electronic device Protective case. The method of claim 5, The portable electronic device may be a 35 mm camera, a digital camera, a device, a tool, a personal digital assistant, a web tablet, a mobile phone, a pocket computer, a portable mini pager, a game machine, an electronic music player, a voice recorder, and a satellite navigation device (GPS). Protective case. The method of claim 1, Integral energy absorbing web and rib features that are compressed or deformed to absorb impact loads, internally molded buttons, ribs, aesthetic features, mating ribs, positive fixation, and functions for the life of the product, or Further comprising an interference tolerance to enable combination Shock-absorbing inserts. The method of claim 2, Accepts portable electronic devices that have passed MIL-STD-810F, Table 516.5-Vi Transit Drop Test at a minimum height of 24 inches Protective case. The method of claim 1, A molded elastomeric material having a hardness between about Shore 40 A and about Shore 65 D Shock-absorbing inserts. The method of claim 1, Containing thermoplastic polyurethane Shock-absorbing inserts. A method of holding the shock absorbing insert of claim 1 in a user-defined enclosure, By designing attachment features that create a tight fit between the shock absorbing insert and the user defined enclosure How to maintain a shock absorbing insert. The method of claim 11, The design includes a molded finger and a mating groove, the finger is on the shock absorbing insert, the groove is on the user defined enclosure, the finger is on the user defined enclosure, The groove is present on the shock absorbing insert, or combination thereof. How to maintain a shock absorbing insert.

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